34 PALESTINE UNVEILED
the sun shone, taking advantage of the struggle being
waged by the patriots.
The view from my windows on Mount Carmel was
superb. Haifa lay below me just as it had done from -
the portholes of the air-liner, spread out like a large-
scale map. I could see the ships in the great new
harbour, and the houses and streets clustering together
on the narrow space between mountain and shore.
The northern horizon was blocked by a long ridge
ending in a white cliff. This was the Ladder of Tyre
marking the northern frontier of the country.
On the far side of the bay a city stood with the
feet of its yellow walls and bastions in the water, and
the Father Guest-master told me that I was looking
at St. John of Acre, a magic name enough. Above Acre
the mountains of Galilee went tumbling up to the sky.
I was shown the sharp peak which marks the site of
Jotapata, the fortress which Josephus the Historian
defended against the Romans.
I was continually encountering places and things
which connected England with Palestine. I do not
mean the English crusaders who fought at Acre, though
that is the strongest link of all, but places and things
like this Jotapata. That peak wks stormed by the
troops of Vespasian, who afterwards became Emperor
of Rome—but where had Vespasian served his appren-
ticeship to the art of storming hill-forts ?- Down in
Dorset, of course. With his Second Legion, a few
years previously, he had broken through the mighty
ramparts of Eggardun, Pillsdun, Maydun, Quarr and
a few score similar hill-cities of our Celtic forefathers.
Here, a mighty long way from home, I was looking